Cigarette case



May 28, 1929. SKOGLIJND 1,714,736

' CIGARETTE CASE med Oct. 5, 1926 Joseph A. Skoslund iazu Arca- Patented May 28, 1929.

inert-t JOSEPH A. SKOGLUND, 01? st. PAUL, 'Mr'nNEs'oTA.

. CIGARETTE oAsE.

Application filed October 5, 1926. Serial No. 138,622.

ing a portion of the wrapper thereof removed from which case the cigarettes may.

be conveniently removed and which will cop the cigarettes from falling out of the package and from being crushed or broken.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing said case with a body portion adapted to snugly fit around a package of cigarettes, said bodyportion being open at one end to receive the package and being tapered longitudinally in both directions from the middle of the case to hold the package firmly in place, said case having an opening across the front wallthereof at the top of the case for the removal of the cigarettes. 1

A still further object resides in constructing the-body portion of a flexible material and-in securing to the lateral walls and end wall of the case a re-enforcing strip for stiffening the same, said end wall being constructed to form an abutment for the ends of 1e ci 'are'r s o reve e sa e ma tl g t e t p nt th in tro c cidentally dropping out of the case. i

A still further object of the invention resides in seaming the case along the centers of the lateral walls thereof, said reenforcing strip serving to strengthen the same along said seams and in further cutting away the material for'forming the opening in the front .wall of the case along three sides to provide a flap adapted to be turned inwardly into the case to overlie said re-enforcing strip at said end wall.

With the-foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear in the following description, the invention resides in the'novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a cigarette case illustrating an embodiment of my in-- vention. V

' Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating one of the blanks from which the body portion of the case is constructed. t

Fig. 3 is a plan View illustrating one of the blanks constituting the re-enforcing strip of the case. p i

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the case with the cigarettes removed and. taken on line le- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of the case .taken on line 55 of Fig. 1, illustrating the'case in inverted position. i

F 1g. 6 is a perspective view of a package of cigarettes illustrating the method of preparing it prior to insertion into my improved cigarette case. i

For the purpose of illustrating the application of my invention I have shown in the drawings an ordinary package of cigarettes A comprising a number of individualcigarettes lOcontained within a wrapper 11 foldedat the ends 12 thereof over the ends of the cigarettes. By precise measure. ments I have discovered that many popular brands of cigarettes are contained in pack-I ages varying but slightly in dimensions and that one size of case will accommodate such cigarettes. i I

The invention comprises a bodyportion B open at one end as: indicated at 13. The body portion 13' of the case is preferably made of leather or some other flexible'material and is cut from a rectangular blank as indicated at 14- in Fig. 2. This blank is tance inwardly from the lateral edges 18 and 19 thereof equal to half the thickness of the case. The same is similarly scored along two transverse parallellines 20 and 21 sitscored in two parallel lines'15 and 16 a dis we uated at the middle of the blank and located 1 v a distance apart equal to the thickness of the case. These various score marks divide the blank int'oa back 22, a front 23, an end 24Lv and lateral portions 25,26, 27 and 28 together with two short ears 29 and 30,

fornied by severing the lateral portions 25, I

.26, 27 and 28 along the score marks 20 and 21 up tothe score marks 15 and 16 as indicated. at 3 1 in the construction of the device, blank ll, is butt-seamed along the edges l8and 19 thereof so as to bring the lateral portions and 2.6"together and the corresponding portions 27 and 28 together to complement one another in forming the rigid construction I employ a IB-QIIfOIClIlg strip. 34 which is scored along lines 35 and 36- to divide the same into end portions, 37 and 38 and an intermediate portion 39. This ,re-entorcing strip is bent in'the' shape of the letter U and is inserted withinthe case tion.

shown in Fig.1.

B and cemented to the lateral walls 32 and 33 thereof and to the end wall 24 thereof. 13 y means of this reenforcing strip the lateral walls 32 and 33 are caused to lie flat and to be re-enforced along the seams formed along the edges 18 and 19 thereof. This reenforcing strip also serves to stiffen the end 2 1- so as to form an abutment for the cigarettes to protect the same against being crushed and to prevent the accidental dislodgment thereof from the case.

As previously stated, the end 13 of the case B is left open to permit of the insertion of package of cigarettes therethrough and into the case proper. In addition to this opening another opening 4L0 is provided which. is formed by cutting the front portion 23 of the blank 14 along two longitudinal lines4l and 42,. in close proximity to the score marks 15 and 16,'and along a transverse line situated between the score mark 21 and the free edge of said front por- By means of this construction a tab i l is left from the material separated from the front 23 which tab remains integrally connectedto the end portion 24. After the re-enforcing strip 34 has been properly positioned within the case the tab 44 is folded inwardly into the case over the edge 15' of the central portion 39 of said re-enforcing strip and cemented to the inner face thereof. After the case has been cemented up the same may be placed over a suitable form and allowed to dry, and upon being removed from the form assumes the proper shape.

In using the ease, the procedure is as'follows: A package of cigarettes such as indicated at- A in Fig. 6 is first partially opened by loosening one of the flaps 12 at an end thereof and folding the same outwardly into the plane of thefront of the package. as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. By then taking the flap between the forefinger and thumb the same may be torn away from the body of the wrapper at the end of the package as clearly indicated in full linesin Fig. .6 so as to expose a portion of the cigarettes within the package. With the package so prepared an opening indicated at 17 is formed in the front of the wrapper 11 exposing the cigarettes as explained. In using the case the package of cigarettes so prepared is inserted into the case through the open end 13 thereof in such ainanner that the opening 47 is caused to register with the opening 40 in the front wall 23 of said case. The relative position of the package of cigarettes within the case when so inserted is best To enable the user to remove the cigarettes from the case 13 it is simply necessary for him to slightly squeeze the sides 32 and 33 of the case together which causes the front 23 of said case to belly outwardly. By inserting the thumb. and forefinger through the opening 40 in said case the cigarettes may be individually withdrawn through said opening in an inclined manner without mutilating the same. In actual use, a cigarette is bent but slightly and without injury thereto as it is withlines illustrating the manner in which the same is retained within the case as the package becomes empty. It will be noted that the end wall 24; of the case which is quite rigid through the agency of the re-enforcing strip 3 1 and the flap 14 serves as an abutment to prevent the accidental displacement of the cigarettes from the case. This is even so where but a single cigarette remains, as clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, where it will be noted that although a portion of a cigarette protrudes through the opening 40 yet a corner on the extreme end of the same engages the wall 2 1 in such a manner as to prevent its accidental displacement from the case. In constructing the case the same is formed of such dimensionsas to snugly receive a package of cigarettes and is further constructed slightly between its ends so that its dimensions acentthe ends are slightly greater tnan at its middle. This has the effect of causing the case to tightly envelop the package of cigarettes and to hold the same in place within the case through frictional contact. It also provides for the ready insertion of a package into the case and further avoics crai'nping the ends of the cigarettes together adjacent to the opening 40 in said case. After the cigarettes within the package have been emptied,the package may be readily ejected through the opening 13 and a fresh one prepared as specified, and inserted, intothe case in place thereof.

The invention is highly meritorious in that it provides a simple and practical case for holding cigarettes.while carried in the pocket of the'user, and in protecting the same from falling out of the package and into the pocket and from being crushed While so carried. The cigarettes are easily removed from the case and are at all times prevented from dropping out of the same. The cigarettes within the case may be clearly viewed at any time through the opening in the front wall thereof so that the user may at all times readily ascertain the number of cigarettes remainingin the package. Due to the stiffness of the re-enforc'ing member the lateral walls of the case become quite rigid so that the cigarettes cannot be broken while carried. At the same time the end wall of the case is rigidly constructed so as to provide a re-enforced abutment for holding the cigarettes within the case as clearly brougl'it out. The front andvrear walls 23 and 2:2 of the case proper being constructed of leather or like material is self conformable to fit'comfortably within the hip pocket of the user, when the case is so carried. The case may be made at a nominal cost and can be constructed of different kinds of leather to produce an attractive and pleasing article having a long life. I

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is:

l. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having a portion of the wrapper thereof on one side removed from one end to provide an opening in said wrapper for the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said case comprising a body portion having a front and back wall, lateral walls'connecting said front and back walls and an end wall connecting the front, back and lateral walls, one end of said case being open to receive the package, said front wall being formed with an opening extending across the same adjacent said end wall and adapted to register with the opening in said cigarette package wrapper, said lateral walls being joined longitudinally and a re-enforcement extending along and secured to said lateral and end walls for stiffening and re-enforcing the same along the seams therein, and a flap integral with said end wall overlapping said re-cnforcement.

2. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having a portion of the wrapper thereof on one side removed from one end to provide an opening in said wrapper for the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said case comprising a body portion" having a front wall, a back wall, lateral walls and an end wall, oneend of said case being open to receive the package, said front wall being formed with an opening extending across the same adjacent said end wall and adapted to register with the opening in said cigarette package wrapper, a re-enforcement extending along and secured to said lateral and end walls for stiffening the same, and a flap integral with said end wall overlapping said re-v enforcement.

3. A cigarette case for holding a package,

of cigarettes having a portion of the wrapper thereof on one side removed from one end to provide an opening in said wrapper for the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said case comprising a body portion having a front wall, a back wall, lateral walls and an end wall, one end of said case being open to receive the package, said front wall being formed with, an opening extending across the same'adjacent said end wall and adapted to register with the opening in said'cigarette package wrapper, and a re-e'nforc'ement extending along and secured to said lateral and end walls forstiffening the same.

i. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having a portion of the wrapper thereof on one side removed'fron'i oneend to provide an opening in said wrapper for the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said case comprising a: body portion having a front wall, a backwall, lateral walls and an end wall, one endof said case being open to receive the package, said front wall being formed with an opening extending across the same ad'acent said end wall and ada ted to register with the opening in said cigarette package wrapper, said end Wall being stiffened to form an abutment for the ends of the cigarettes. I

5. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having a portion of the wrapper thereof on one 'side removed from one end to provide an opening, in said wrapper for the removal of cigarettes therefrom, saidcase comprising a. body portion having a front wall, aback wall, lateral-walls and an end wall, one end of said case being open to receive the package, said front wall stopping short of the end wall to provide an opening extending across the front of the case adapted to register with the opening in of cigarettes comprising a body portion of V flexible material open at the bottom to receive the package, said case being constricted medially thereof by tapering from its ends towards the middle and being formed with an opening across one side thereof at the top of the case. i V i 8. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having the wrapper torn away to provide an opening at one side of the package exposing, in elevation, the cigarettes next to said opening, said case comprising a body portion open at one end for the endwise reception of the prepared package and formed with an opening extending across one side, said opening being limited in ex tent, lengthwise of the case, to less than. one

half the length of a cigarette and arranged to give'access to end portions of the cigarettes exposed by said opening in the cigarette package and means for sealing the ends of the cigarettes While in exposed position.

9. A cigarette case for holding a package of cigarettes having the Wrapper torn aWay to provide an opening at one side of the package exposing, in elevation, the cigarettes next to said opening, said ease com- -prising a body portion of flexible material open at one end for the endwise reception of the prepared package and formed with an opening extending across one side giving access to end portions of the cigarettes exposed by said opening in the cigarette package, the end of said case adjacent said opening, extending completely across the end of the package of cigarettes.

10. A cigarette case comprising a body portion for the reception of a package of cigarettes having a portion of its Wrapper removed to expose cigarettes adjacent one end of the package, said body portion of said case having an opening in one side thereof for the lateral removal from the case of the cigarettes exposed in said package, said case also having an end Wall extending completely across the case and covering the tips of the eigarettesadjaeent the opening in said case.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH A. SKOGLUND. 

